Honestly, if you’re like me, you probably started watching Tell Me Lies for the toxic, high-stakes car crash that is Lucy and Stephen. But somewhere between the mid-semester parties and the devastating secrets at Baird College, a different character started stealing the spotlight. I’m talking about Bree. Specifically, the actress who plays her, Catherine Missal.
She’s basically the emotional glue of the show. While everyone else is busy gaslighting each other or making the absolute worst decisions possible, Bree often feels like the only person with a pulse. But playing the "sweet friend" is actually a trap for most actors. It can get boring fast. Catherine Missal doesn’t let that happen. She gives Bree this sort of quiet, simmering depth that makes you realize she’s just as messed up and human as the rest of them, just in a different font.
Who is the Tell Me Lies actress playing Bree?
The face behind Bree is Catherine Missal. You might recognize her, but you probably can't quite place from where. She’s been around for a minute. Born on November 15, 1999, in New Jersey, she isn't exactly a newcomer, even if Tell Me Lies feels like her massive breakout moment.
Before she was navigating the messy social hierarchy of Baird, she was actually a child actor. We’re talking Broadway-level talent. She was in Mary Poppins and A Tale of Two Cities on stage. That stage background is probably why she’s so good at those long, awkward silences in the show. You can see her thinking. It’s not just "acting," it feels like she’s actually processing the trauma in real-time.
Some quick facts about her:
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- She’s a Scorpio (which, if you believe in that, explains the intensity).
- Her sister, Kelley Missal, is also an actress (you might know her from One Life to Live).
- She had a four-year hiatus from acting before landing the role of Bree.
That break is interesting. It's rare for a young actress to step away and come back stronger, but it clearly worked. She brought a maturity to Bree that a younger, less experienced actor might have missed.
The "Good Girl" trope and why Catherine Missal breaks it
In Season 1, Bree is the virgin. She’s the foster kid who just wants to belong. It’s a role we’ve seen a thousand times in college dramas. But Catherine plays her with this subtle edge. There’s a scene early on where she talks about her childhood, and instead of playing it for total sympathy, she plays it with a kind of weary resignation. Like, "Yeah, this happened, and now I'm here."
Then Season 2 hit, and everything changed.
The whole plotline with Professor Oliver (played by Tom Ellis) was... a lot. It was controversial, uncomfortable, and honestly, kinda heartbreaking. Watching Bree get manipulated by an older man—only to find out he and his wife were basically playing a game with her—was the moment Catherine Missal really showed her range. She went from the "sweet roommate" to a woman completely unraveled by betrayal.
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What most people get wrong about Bree
A lot of fans on Reddit and TikTok get frustrated with Bree. They say she’s "naive" or "annoying" for getting involved with a married man. But that's missing the point of what Catherine is doing with the character.
Bree isn't supposed to be perfect. She’s a 19-year-old girl with a history of being abandoned (hello, foster system) who finally feels "seen" by a powerful man. Catherine portrays that desperation so well that it’s almost hard to watch. She makes you feel the cringey, desperate need for validation that defines your early twenties. If you didn't feel a little bit of second-hand embarrassment for her during those office hour scenes, you weren't paying attention.
Life after the Baird College drama
It's 2026, and Tell Me Lies has officially cemented itself as a cult classic. Season 3 has pushed Bree into even darker territory, especially with that wedding timeline we keep jumping to. Seeing Catherine play the 2015 version of Bree—hardened, older, and clearly carrying a massive secret—is a total 180 from the girl we met in the dorms.
Outside of the show, Catherine has been picking up some really cool projects. She was recently in A House of Dynamite, a thriller that let her flex those "darker" muscles even more. It’s clear she isn’t interested in being the "girl next door" anymore.
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What’s next for the star?
If you're following her career, you've probably noticed she's pretty private. She isn't one of those stars who posts every meal on Instagram. That mystery actually helps her. When she shows up on screen, you don't see "the influencer," you just see Bree. Or Tiffany from Natural Selection. Or Adena from the Vacation reboot.
The reality is, Tell Me Lies wouldn't work without her. While Lucy and Stephen are the "fire," Bree is the "burn." She’s the one who shows the actual cost of all that toxicity. Catherine Missal has taken what could have been a sidekick role and turned it into the show's moral—and sometimes immoral—center.
If you haven't caught up on the latest episodes, you're missing out on some of her best work yet. The way she handles the reveal of Evan's betrayal (thanks to that lovely voice memo from Stephen) is a masterclass in controlled rage.
Check out her earlier work like The Blacklist or her singing videos on YouTube if you want to see the full range of what she can do. She’s got a voice that’ll honestly surprise you. Just don't expect her to play it safe. Based on the roles she's choosing lately, she’s only getting started with the complicated stuff.
Go watch Season 3 if you haven't. The wedding scenes alone are worth it just to see the "look" she gives Stephen. It explains everything without saying a single word.